It’s all about having a close encounter with nature and being able to hold it in your hands, that’s the type of experience we in Costa Rica Monkey Tours want you to have. I couldn’t just write about it, I had to live it, so; we visited the Costa Rica frog pond in Monteverde.

I’m not a big fan of the cold blood friends but I’m also not the type of person that’s going to run away from a new experience. So, as long as they stay behind the glass, I’m up to the challenge.

At the Amphibian Aquarium in Costa Rica they have around 24 different species of frogs, all of them native from the area. To keep them safe and happy, they have special terrariums adapted to their special needs; with different climate and vegetation requirements depending on each specie.

The frog pond was created in the year 2000 but it was until 2002 that it was officially opened to the public. The idea came from two naturalist tour guides; Marconi Suarez Soto, (who now is the sole owner) and Victorino Molina Rojas; they wanted to preserve nature and give tourists something different from what was offered at the time.

The weirdest most strangely beautiful frog I saw at the pond was the Anotheca Spinosa; a very small specimen recognizable by its sharp pointed spines on the head. The Coronated Treefrog as it’s also called, has a Low Concern conservation status due to the destruction of its habitat, and they have it at the pond, for all of us to admire.

We walked around during the day and most of the frogs seemed to be camera shy, but when we came back at night, we realized they just get up late in the morning; so if you have the opportunity to see both behaviors if will be a very educational experience.

The Frog pond in Monteverde is completely indoors, so it is not affected by the variable climate of the area. All guides are bilingual and is open daily from 9:00 am to 8:30 pm